Akarshika, aka: Ākarṣikā; 1 Definition(s)

Introduction

Akarshika means something in Hinduism, Sanskrit. If you want to know the exact meaning, history, etymology or English translation of this term then check out the descriptions on this page. Add your comment or reference to a book if you want to contribute to this summary article.

The Sanskrit term Ākarṣikā can be transliterated into English as Akarsika or Akarshika, using the IAST transliteration scheme (?).

In Hinduism

Kathā (narrative stories)

Ākarṣikā (आकर्षिका) is the name of a city over which Putraka flew and decided to descend into it. This story is told in the tale called ‘the founding of the city of Pāṭaliputra’, according to the Kathāsaritsāgara, chapter 3. Accordingly, Śiva told the three daughters of Bhojika in a dream: “The prince [Putraka ] put on the shoes and flew up in the air, taking with him the staff and the vessel. Then he went a great distance in a short time and saw beneath him a beautiful city named Ākarṣikā and descended into it from the sky.”

The Kathāsaritsāgara (‘ocean of streams of story’), mentioning Ākarṣikā, is a famous Sanskrit epic story revolving around prince Naravāhanadatta and his quest to become the emperor of the vidyādharas (celestial beings). The work is said to have been an adaptation of Guṇāḍhya’s Bṛhatkathā consisting of 100,000 verses, which in turn is part of a larger work containing 700,000 verses.

Source: Wisdom Library: Kathāsaritsāgaracontext information

Kathās (कथा) are special kind of Sanskrit literature: they are a kind of a mix between Itihāsa (historical legends) and Mahākāvya (epic poetry). Some Kathās reflect socio-political instructions for the King while others remind the reader of the historical deeds of the Gods, sages and heroes.